Like ethnic
groups, Oroans pass
their time in music and dance .They use FLUTE, NAGARA & MANDAR as their
musical instrument They sing folk songs in which their life style emerges.
Like other tribes, Oraons like to
dance, sing and play musical instruments. Their dances and songs are deeply
rooted in their social and cultural life. Mandar, drums, Nagara and Dholak, flute and
Mandar are the main musical instruments. They sing folk songs in which their
life style emerges. Jhumur songs of Oraons reflect
their lifestyle and their religious philosophy. Their songs

and dances are seasonal and festival wise,
hence they sing songs according to the season. All religious ceremonies and
seasonal festivals of Oraons such as the Basundhara in the month of
Baishakh, Bhadri in Bhadra, Jejuti in Agrahayan, Itu in Falgun and Sarhul in
Chaitra reflect the tribe's link to agriculture.

Marriage songs and dances are also different
from another seasonal dances and songs. following of the dances and songs of
Kurukhs : Karma, Sharhul, Jhumar, Damkach, Bhadri, Jejuti, Itu and
Jatra.

1. Karma
DanceKarma festival is celebrated
on Bhadrapad-Suklapaksh Ekadashi. At the Karma festival a
party of young people of both sexes spend the whole festival night
singing and dancing. The songs sung on this occasion narrate the legends of
Karma and Dharma On the day of worship, devotees fast from morning till the
next day Ė a good 24 hours. A branch from the Karam(Nauclea
parvifolia) tree is planted in the middle of an dancing
ground(Akhra) and the night is spent singing and dancing around it.All may be festooned with strips of coloured cloth
and sham bracelets, java( new rice or wheat plants)and
merry laughter of the young people encircling it, reminds one of the
gift-bearing tree. Java and wheat is germinated a few days earlier
and the small plants are put in a small bamboo basket and placed before the
branch of the Karam Tree. Lahsua and Khare are some of its
varieties.

7.2. Jaudra Dance
During the month of AGHAN & PUSA it is played in the villages at night.

7.3.
Sharhul Dance Sharhul festival celebrated, whensal
tree gives the flowers for the ceremony. It takes place about the
beginning of April on any day when the tree is in flower.Sarhul
which is a prominent festival of ORAON canít be thought without dance .
the
youth of both sexes, gaily decked with the sal blossoms, the pale
cream-white flowers of which make the most becoming of ornaments against
their dusky skins and coal-black hair, proceed to the Akhara and dance all
night.

People hold together in a
chain and form a circle then practise this dance along with music and song
. Musicians with their traditional music instruments remain inside the
circle .Men wear white DHOTI with red border and women wear white SARI with
red border .Watching a dance group causes one to be a part of it.

7.4.
Bheja DanceDozens or more young boys and girls
gather at a particular place ,form a chain by clumping hands of one another
in alternate succession then perform dance following different postures with
melodious traditional music and songs in a rhythm.

7.5. Panky DanceMen
hold CHANWAR in hands and on their soldiers then perform dance.

7.6. Angnai DanceIt
is performed in the villages during any festival.

7. Jatra Dance

Jatra is the famous dance of Kurukhs. The tribe are
seen to best advantage at the great national dance meetings called Jatras,
which are held once a year at convenient centres, generally large mango
groves in the vicinity of old villages. As a signal to the country round,
the flags of each village are brought out on the day fixed and set upon the
road that leads to the place of meeting. This incites the young men and
maidens to hurry through their morning's work and dig up their dresses, which are by no means ordinary
attire. Those who have some miles to go put up their finery in a bundle to
keep it fresh and clean, and proceed to some tank or stream in the vicinity
of the tryst grove; and about two o'clock in the afternoon may be seen all
around groups of girls laughingly making their toilets in the open air, and
young men in separate parties similarly employed. When they are ready the
drums are beaten, huge horns are blown, and thus summoned the group from
each village forms its procession. In front are young men with swords and
shields or other weapons, the village standard-bearers with their flags, and
boys waving yaks' tails or bearing poles with fantastic arrangements of
garlands and wreaths intended to represent umbrellas of dignity. Sometimes a
man riding on a wooden horse is carried, horse and all, by his friends as
the Raja, and others assume the form of or paint themselves up to represent
certain beasts of prey. Behind this motley group the main body form
compactly together as a close column of dancers in alternate ranks of boys
and girls, and thus they enter the grove, where the meeting is held in a
cheery dashing style, wheeling and countermarching and forming lines,
circles and columns with grace and precision. The dance with these movements
is called kharia, and it is considered to be an Oraon rather than a
Munda dance, though Munda girls join in it. When they enter the grove the
different groups join and dance the kharia together, forming one vast
procession and then a monstrous circle. The drums and musical instruments
are laid aside, and it is by the voices alone that the time is given; but as
many hundreds, nay, thousands, join, the effect is imposing. In serried
ranks, so closed up that they appear jammed, they circle round in file, all
keeping perfect step, but at regular intervals the strain is terminated by a
hururu, which reminds one of Paddy's 'huroosh' as he 'welts the
floor,' and at the same moment they all face inwards and simultaneously
jumping up, they come down on the ground with a resounding stamp that marks
the finale of the movements, but only for a momentary pause. One voice with
a startling yell takes up the strain again, a fresh start is made, and after
gyrating thus till they tire of it, the ring breaks up, and separating into
village groups they perform other dances independently till near sunset, and
then go dancing home."

7.8.
Damkach It is a variety of dance mainly
practiced by SADANS in Jharkhand during marriage ceremony and oroans also
accepted to dance domkach.

9. Other Dances: Marriage songs and dances are also different from another seasonal dances and songs.
Jhumur songs of Oraons reflect their lifestyle and their religious philosophy. BhadriCelebraed in Bhadra. Jejuti Celebrated in Aghan.
Basundhara is celebrated in the month of Baishakh.
An another dance is Itu.